He was a language professor at the Hungarian Royal Eastern Academy from 1912, and a teacher of Turkish and Arabic from 1915. During World War I he had several secret missions in Turkey. In 1915 he was there as member of the Turkish Red Crescent and also joined the fights at the Dardanelles.
Youth and studies
Julius Germanus was born in Budapest on 6 November 1884 into a middle-class family. Both of his grandfathers were soldiers in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-’49. His father, Alexander Germanus (1852—1940), was leather merchant and shoemaker; his mother, Rosalia Zobel, was of Zipszer German origin. Julius had a brother, Francis and a sister, Johanna.
The young did not do well in the early years of high school and, sometimes got very low marks. Despite of that in 1902 graduated with brilliant results. His mother spoke German more than Hungarian. Despite this Hungarian became his mother tongue. Maybe this confusion led him to the difficulties in studying languages but accompanied with his incredible strength of mind to multilinguism, as well: just after finishing the high-school sat for exams on Greek and Latin languages, both widespread in the intellectual class in the region, that time. Besides the classical and foreign languages reading, and even writing books on history, literature and history of music became his other speare-time activity. Germanus was devouring historical books in original French and German. His first own work titled The artillery lieutenant (A tüzérhadnagy), which discuss the siege of Strasbourg in the year 1870-’71, carried off the first prize of 20 Crown.
From his early childhood played the violin with a good soul but he felt irresistible affection for piano-playing he same time. The parents couldn’t afford to acquire not even a pianino and of course they didn’t want to see their son killing his time with another hobby instead of bettering his notes. Julius adapted himself to the situations and began to practice in secrecy on a keyboard made of straw-board. He wasn’t very talented in music but the immense exercise had its effect and at 13 with his sister interpreted some pieces of Bach and Mozart.
The young Germanus adored the nature and couldn’t help going into the stable, while staying on countryside, and petting the horses and the cattles. “Once, out on the pasture, the herd set me on the back of the steer at my request. I was only five and scarcely weighed anything. My mother caught her breath and turned pale when she saw the herd of cattle coming in the village with the bull in its head and me sitting on the bull."
On the way of great predecessors
Passed the youthful years, Germanus’ interest besides history turned gradually but definitively to the Eastern studies, arts and literature. He got his first deep impression on East turning over the pages of the German paper titled Gartenlaube. There was a wood-print with the magic view of an unreachable eastern town. “The picture presented small, flat-roofed houses raising among them here and there some dome shaped cupola. The light of the half-moon, twinkling on the dark sky, lengthened the shadows of the figures squatting on the roofs”. This was the moment when the affection for East was born.
Soon after it Julius started to pick up the Turkish language himself, without any help. We should remember, as he wrote it in his great work, the Allah akbar, the languages had been medium of transmission to eastern culture, art and literature, and he had acquired a handful of languages not just for linguism, or some type of affection for foreign tongues, he was seeking for the Muslim mentality, “soul of East”. How the Turkish writers of history gaze upon the Turkish supremacy on Hungary it was always in his interest from the beginning. However he should have come on soon that a lot of sources wouldn’t be reached without knowing Persian and Arabic languages. He took it on his head that he would be master on these, as well, but got some difficulties with the former one.
The first aid came form one of the best acknowledged orientalist and linguist of that time, Sir Ármin Vámbéry. “Several periodical, like Mesveret and some other shorter or longer reviews of similar subject with complimentary copies of books were arriving to Vámberys address in Pest. In which the Professor wasn’t interested throw into a bathtub for me, from where I could fish papers, books which I preferred.” Father Alexander Germanus frowned his sons dreaming, he was worried about Julius not to get into evil ways, but Vámbéry stood up for his beloved apprentice. “Mr Germanus, your son is of great promise. Don’t obstruct his career, let him study. Don’t’ consider his necessity for books as giddiness! Please, help him; I warrant that you won’t be disappointed.”
First journey, Bosnia
Having graduated in the high-school Germanus decided to spent the in Bosnia, the nearest Islamic country to Hungary. This was his first personal meeting with Muslims. The visit of Bosnia provided reinforcement in his decision to study further oriental studies, in the same time. ( about his commemoration on the Bosnian journey)
The parents former would mark him out for engineer. But after coming home Germanus enrolled for the University of Sciences in Budapest (since 1950 Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem) to read Latin and History. Among his professors we can mention Ignác Goldziher, considered one of the founders of modern Islamic studies; Bálint Kuzsinszky, professor in antique history; Ignác Kúnos, authority in Turkish languages; István Heged?s professor of Greek and Henrik Marczali lecturer in Hungarian history.
“Germanus was always speaking about Goldziher with the deepest fondness and honour. It was however Vámbery who stand much nearer to him personally. Germanus considered him as real mentor and supporter.” In 1903 through the Eastern Academy he became a scholarship to better his Turish knowledge in Constantinople. He settled by an Armenian family and was reading law on the University of Constantinople. In his staying in the Ottoman Empire Julius got involved in the movement of Young Turks, a coalition of various groups favouring reforms in the administration of the realm. The movement intended to overthrow the monarchy of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Because of his involvement, Germanus was accused for espionage and imprisoned. After the trial he was condemned to death by the regime. It was just in the last minute when the Austrian consul brought him off the gallows and get him out of the jailhouse. After the incident Germanus cut himself adrift from the movement and started a journey to roam the Empire. That he saw and felt on his trip that fulfilled the dreams of his youth. After he got back to home his first scientific work was published in 1905 in the volume of his Turkish teacher, Ignác Kúnos under the chapter Arabic and Persian Elements in Turkish. His way led him not only towards East. He was even attending balkanology, archeology and German literature in Leipzig and in Vienna.
In 1906 his study, titled Geschichte der osmanischen Dichtkunst (History of the Ottoman Poetry) was brought out. In 1907 he got finally his degree as Doctor of Philosophy with summa cum laude in Turkish and Arabic language and literature, literature and world-history.
With his work Evlija Cselebi about Turkish trade guilds in the XVIII. century obtained a scholarship to Great Britain, where he could spend three years between 1908 and 1911 on the Oriental Department of the British Museum. The recommendatory letter from his teacher, Ármin Vámbery, the greatest expert of Islamic studies at that time, brought him much. His skill in English language was helpful not only for his works and study but he edited English course books, dictionaries, too. Germanus was fencing and swimming competitively from his childhood. iI England he tasted boxing, as well, nevertheless his favourite sport was riding. He took good places in it. It was England, too, where the first love found him. His relationship to the beloved Gwendolyn Percyfull remained long-lasting, even though after a few years not in a romantic form. They changed letters also more than 50 years later.
The book about the experiences of these early years, titled In the Pale Light of the Crescent Moon (A félhold fakó fényében) was published first in 1957.
India
In 1928 Rabindranath Tagore invited him to India in order to organize the Islamic history dep. of the Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan.He gave lectures in Lucknow, Lahore, Dacca. In December, 1930 he was invited to Delhi. He met dr. Zakir Hussain, later prime minister of Republic of India, and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former prime minister of India. He spent 3 years in Bengal with his wife Hajnoczy Rozsa and tauught islamic pupils under the open sky.During these years Pal Teleki, the Hungarian primeminister asked him to study the maori and munda languages and their possible connections with the Hungarian language. The book - Have the munda languages any cognates in Europe (Calcutta, 1929) summarizes his study.The summers he and his wife spent with tavel and visited the thomb of Sándor K?rösi Csoma, the famous Hungarian orientalist, in Darjeeling. They travelled through Cashmere.His books - India today, 1933 and Light of India /Mahatma Gandhi/, 1934 are about these experiences.
By this time he was living the Quran and took part in the Friday prayers Juma' Masjid of Delhi. One time he have a speech to a crowd of 5ooo people. It was about the new blooming of Islam and got such popularity that he had to escape from the thankful people, and possible death from pressure.
Turkey
His Turkish-language book was published in 1925. The Hungarian readers welcomed it with big interest. He became the secretary of the Hungarian PEN Club, with the recommendation of John Galsworthy. He organized the Bulgarian PEN Club in 1928, and the Egyptian PEN Club in 1936.
He wrote two essays about the Turkish cultural transformation in French: La civilisation turque moderne ("The modern turkish civilisation") and Pensées sur la révolution turque ("Thinking about the turkish revolution", about the role of Kemal Atatürk in the revolution). The new Turkish government invited him to Turkey in 1928. Travelling there he could see the transformation of Muslim Turkey into a new European country. He got resignated so that he stopped the trip and visited Bulgaria, Macedonia, Sofia and Belgrade instead. Here he met Nikola Vaptsarov and other national leaders and writers.
Middle East
In 1934 from state subvention he travelled through the Middle East, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Travelling through England he meet T. E. Lawrence. In Egypt he spent some months in Al-Azhar University and experienced the hundred years old method of teaching Coran. Saw the poor and struggling students and the everyday life. Also he met with the poets and writers of this world such as Taha Hussein, Mahmud Tejmur, Abdullah ’Enan, Abdul Qádir al-Mázini, Ibrahim Naji, Taufiq al-Hakim, Abbas el-Akkad, Sauki Amin, the secretary of the academy and Hussein Heikel, philosopher.
In 1935 among the first Europeans he visited Mecca and made the Hajj. This was not a safe journey at that time. Any misunderstanding that he is a spy or a turist could have ment his death. He kept the national flag under his cloths to feel close to his motherland. He took pictures with his mini camera, made detailed descriptions about the writings on walls and other relics. These informations were all novelty to the western world.Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia himself invited him for a visit.The book "Allah Akbar" /1936/ speaks about this trip in details.
Despite of all the knowledge he collected, he felt his mission unfinished. Being the only European able to get into the Muslim world, he felt the urge to carry on in the study and decided to make a second trip. On the 23rd of September, in 1939 he began his second jurney to the Middle East. By that time the preparations of world war greatly hardened any travel. He risked his life sailing through the Black Sea and travelling through the desert. Despite of all the difficulties he got to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Mecca, Medina and Badr. He met writer friends and enjoyed the hospitality of royalties.
During the war
In 1941 he became the director of the Eastern Institute.During the II. World War he was on the streets of Budapest to help the family, friends and the university, to hide people and secure them, to save lives and goods. His library remained miraculously untouched. His wife, Rozsa Hajnoczy was suffering from the attacks, so he decided to find a calm place in a village for her. By the time he got back to Budapest she committed suicide. She could not live with the feeling that her husband's life is in continuous risk under the Nyilas regime.One person helped him through these days. He met Kajari Kato, at an exhibition in 1939. He found a good student, a helpful colleague and a good wife in her.
A new life
In 1948 he became director of the professorship of Italian culture and economical policy. His works were published in Italian. The book - "Sulle orme di Maometto" /1938, Milan/, the translation of "Allah Akbar". The Eastern Institute closed and teachers were dismissed, with no hope of any development.
He worked at the Turkish philologic professorship in the Peter Pazmany University, Eötvös Loránd University from November, 1949., under the leadership of Gyula Nemeth. In 1955 he took the place.
These years he prepared a work about the life of Ibn al-Rumi, the big Arabic poet.
1958-1966: He became member of parliament in Hungary. He was a university delegate and did not join the communist party. He worked at the professorship of Arabic literature and cultural history as a lecturer. Later he became the senior lecturer. He was released from duty only in 1964, at the age of 8o.
Return to the East more less
Between 1955 and 1965 he traveled again. His book "Eastern Lights" is about these experiences. He accepted the invitation of the Scientific Academy of Cairo, other universities in Alexandria, Kairo, Damaskus, and eight Indian university to give lectures about the islamic cultural history in English and arbic. Accompanied by his wife and follower, Kato Kajari, at his age of 71, he hit the road again.
On the 30th of dec. 1957 he kept his inaugural speech at the Academy of Sciences in Cairo. In honour of him his Egyptian colleagues organized a special Germanus lecture-week. He also had the pleasure to visit Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid, the queen of Jordan, and Talal ibn Abd al-Aziz, prince of Saud.
He revisited Indian cities to refresh his memories of Bombay, Delhi, Aligarch, Patna, Agra, Hydarabad, Calcutta, Lucknow and Santiniketan. Jawaharlal Nehru, the prime minister of India invited him for a visit. Here he witnessed the development and rapid change of Muslim societies. In febr., 1961 he gave lectures in Marocco, at the universities of Fez, Rabat, Casblanca. He kept his inauguration at the Academy of Baghdad in 1962. The topic was the history of islam in Hungary. He was also invited to the festival for the 1200th anniversary of the foundation of Baghdad.In febr., 1964 the government of the United Arabic Republic /the union of Egypt and Siria/ asked him to give lectures in the refurbished school of Al-Azhar Mosque for the occasion of 1000th anniversary of its exist.On the 15th of march in 1965, the ambassador of Saud visited Germanus in Budapest with the invitation of king Faisal of Saudi Arabia. He was awaited to visit Mecca /for the third time/, to take part of the islamic conference /see Organisation of the Islamic Conference/ . The task was enormous both for the scolar in his 80s and his wife, Aisha, also Muslim by that time. The trip meant to walk round the sacred place and run the way between Saba and Marva seven times on the hot surface in the huge crowd. He accepted the invitation.
